Who's Bed Am I In?
by wolfite
Summary: Kagome finds herself in strange situations, only to find herself there to heal a broken heart.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Urgh..." Her head hurt, her back hurt... as a matter of fact, all of her hurt. Moving hurt. Thinking hurt. But Kagome had to wonder, why did she hurt? She groaned again and wracked her memory for a clue. Maybe it was all those drinks she had last night... She remembered going to a club with Sango, her best friend, and she remembered drinking a little more than usual and dancing with ...she gave up on counting, but there had been several attractive guys there too...

Anyway, back to why she hurt. A hangover she expected, but not these aches all over... She had kept her eyes shut while she struggled with her confusion; but when she felt a ray of sunlight and a slight breeze touch her face, she cracked them open. What she saw confused her still further.

A strange white-walled, golden-colored wood-floored room greeted her. Floor length white curtains hung from the two windows she could see while laying on her side; one right across the room from her, and the other was further down the wall. A wooden box, simple but pretty all the same, sat under the further window with magazines fluttering on the top of it. A nightstand stood near her head, with the usual lamp and clock and other usual things one finds on a nightstand. She also realized that she was in a strange bed (and a very comfy one at that) with white sheets that were almost as pristine as the curtains. She brought her attention back to the nearer window, and realized that she could see a multi-storied building face, which was quite high up, and a fire escape.

That view of the outside world was odd in itself, because she could tell she was several stories up, and she didn't know anyone with an apartment or house that was more than two stories. Kagome gave a huge yawn and sat up with her arms stretched over her head. She was wearing a T- shirt, which was obviously a guy's and hung halfway to her knees, and a pair of blue plaid boxers. She blinked rapidly and looked around at what she had dubbed, a bachelor's apartment-but it seemed to belong to a rather neater than most bachelor.

She spotted the bathroom through a door in the wall facing the foot of the bed, and gave another great yawn as she made her way toward it. She found a note on the edge of the sink with a toothbrush and comb resting on it. The note read:

_Glad to see you survived the night!  
These are for you, and you can use the shower if you want, too.  
I'll come back at noon to see how you're doing,  
and I'll explain everything then.  
Feel free to make yourself at home, and use anything you want.  
See you at noon!  
_  
The note had no name or signature, but Kagome was grateful to them, whoever it was that had taken care of her... She smiled and silently thanked her benefactor. But then her self-preservation instincts kicked in again. Who was she to judge this unknown guy? What if he had taken advantage of her or was planning to do something horrible to her? Wait, the note had said noon... What time was it? She saw the alarm clock next to the bed; it read 11:50, am. "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap..." What if he was a murderer, or a rapist or some sick freak-

'**KNOCK KNOCK'**

Kagome froze. She said nothing to answer the knock, just simply stood there; staring at the door she could see was obviously the entrance to the apartment, down a hall where the doors to other rooms connected.

**'KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK'**

She squeaked and looked around frantically for something to defend herself with.

A deep, warm chuckle seeped through the door. "I bet you're in the hall with one of my lamps or something, just waiting for me to walk in. Or maybe you're still looking for something to whack me over the head with..." He chuckled again. "Well, I'll let you hit me if it'll help you relax!" A cheerful laugh was followed by another, sleepy sounding voice; "Dude, why are you knocking on your own door?"

Oh god, thought Kagome. What do I do now?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kagome's thoughts were running in frightened little circles. She was in such a panic, that she didn't realize that the door had been opened and the owner had made his entrance. Her first look at him was such a shock that it stopped any thought immediately. Long silver hair, slightly pointed ears, deep gold eyes, magenta colored stripes on his cheeks and a purple crescent moon on his forehead, and those were just the most prominent features… This man was extremely tall, dressed in a silvery grey button-down shirt and charcoal grey slacks that did nothing to hide how extremely well muscled he was. He had a nametag on his shirt but all she could read was the emblem of a local fancy department store.

Kagome didn't realize that her mouth had fallen open until he reached out a clawed hand and gently shut it for her. "Well hello to you too, Ms…" He waited for her answer. "Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi. Who are you?" She knew she sounded stunned, but she didn't care. This man was like a combination of a model and a Greek statue! How could she _not_ stare? He chuckled as if he had read her thoughts (well, she probably _was_ pretty transparent right now…) and stepped away from her. She could suddenly breathe again, and with both her adrenaline and _His_ overwhelming presence gone, her hangover returned with a vengeance - seemingly punishing her for forgetting about it.

"Urgh…Forget questions… I need some aspirin…" She sank down onto the nearest piece of furniture that could serve as a place to sit, with her head in her hands. She heard another chuckle with accompanying footsteps. "You can come in now Miroku," called Kagome's _still _nameless benefactor out the door. "But NO groping. She's had a hard night." A dark haired, violet-eyed head popped around the corner. "Well hello there! Name's Miroku," said the man, moving closer with a hand extended and a wide grin. Kagome eyed the proffered hand nervously. She thought he looked familiar, and realized that she knew this man. "You're Sango's…uh… Friend, right?"

From the look on his face and the way he retracted his hand, he seem rather disappointed. "Ah, so my reputation precedes me," said Miroku with mock arrogance. "So, what has my darling Sango told you about me?" Kagome groaned as a new flare of pain was loosed in her skull, and returned her head to her hands. She managed to mumble through her pain, "_Watch out for his hands_…" She could have sworn that she _heard_ Miroku's pout.

More footsteps signaled the arrival of Kagome's Savior, which was what she dubbed him when he re-entered the room carrying hot coffee and a glass of water with some aspirin. _Blessed Blessed Aspirin! _Kagome thought. As she downed the painkillers and coffee, the silver haired man introduced himself and began to tell her the story of the past evening.

"Well, to begin, I am Sesshomaru. That is all of my name you need to know so don't bother to ask for more. I work at that club you were in last night – you _do_ remember the club?" Kagome nodded. "As it was, my shift was just about over when I saw your friend Sango – drunker than you, if that's possible… leave the bar with _this_ idiot." He jerked a thumb at Miroku, who tried to look innocent. "I assumed you had no ride, and was about to offer my services, when my idiot cousin, Kouga, tried to drag you off for…questionable purposes. He was… more than a little rough, seeing as he was quite intoxicated himself, which is why you are sore. I'm sure he dropped you several times…" Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose slightly in distaste. "I removed him from the club, and threatened to remove his testicles if he ever tried anything like that again, and then I brought you here."

Whether she was imagining or remembering, her mind called up images of being carried up several flights of stairs, and getting to know the inside of a toilet bowl, accompanied by a woman as well as Sesshomaru. "Was there a woman with you?" she asked, to confirm her memories. "Yes, actually. That was Rin. My…Friend, if you will… She was the one who cleaned you up and dressed you. And before you ask, yes those are my clothes." He grinned, which seemed out of character when he did it, and jokingly continued, "I _would_ like to have them back, so I had Miroku bring over some of Sango's things for you." He gestured to a bag she hadn't seen before; Miroku had dropped it at the foot of the bed.

Anyway, Sango knows you're here, so you can take your time getting yourself cleaned up. I have to go back to work, and _you_," he pointed at Miroku, "can leave. Any more questions?" Both shook their heads. Miroku flashed a grin at her as he walked out the door, and Sesshomaru glared at him until both men were outside of the firmly shut door. Kagome shrugged and searched through the bag of clothes.

About five minutes into her shower, she realized that she hadn't thanked Sesshomaru for all of his generosity. She finally decided to write him a note since he hadn't left her with any way to contact him. Once she had finished getting dressed, she searched for something to leave a note on. _Pens, pens everywhere, and not a drop of ink…_ The crazy man had _quill_ pens, of all things, but no ink in sight and not a scrap of paper anywhere. _Guess I'll have to improvise…_

Later that night, Sesshomaru came home to find a note in shaving cream on the wall of his shower. It read:

Thanks for everything! I hope I cleaned everything up…

Well, maybe I'll see you again sometime!

Sincerely, Kagome

He went to bed that night with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3!

Kagome Left the apartment building, and made her way to the nearest street corner. She read the street sign to get her bearings and decided that she would have to ride the metro home; she didn't have enough money for a taxi and it was too far to walk. As she looked around to find the entrance to the underground trains, the city made itself known. Busy streets, wide sidewalks-not too crowded this time of day, tiny multi-storied shops squeezed between the apartments and corporate buildings. Typical big city. Not to mention the exhaust fumes, curses of passerby directed at no one in particular, and the ranting taxi drivers. _Yes, what a beautiful city indeed…_thought Kagome with a roll of her eyes. Finally she spotted the metro entrance, and made her way down into the bowels of the city to make her way home.

**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCKNOCK KNOCK**

"Urgh…Go the Hell away! Unless you're Sango that is…"

"I'm _NOT_ Sango, and I want you to get your ass out here!" Miroku would know that voice anywhere.

"Fuck off hanyou! I had a hard night! I want to _sleep_! Remember when _you _used to sleep? Besides, it's too early in the morning to be up and about."

"It's three in the afternoon you moron! Who the hell was that girl that just left Sesshomaru's apartment?" Inuyasha shouted back.

Oh. _That_ was his problem. Miroku had noticed that Kagome looked an awful lot like Inuyasha's recently deceased _other _best friend, Kikyo, and evidently, Inu had too.

"Fluffy rescued her from Kouga last night. Sango was…ah…busy, so he took care of her. Rin was with him." Miroku heard a growl and a thump.

"Damnit Miroku, why does this have to be so hard?" Miroku got up rather quickly. Inuyasha's voice sounded hoarse and tight, and Miroku had never heard it quite that pitch before. As he made his way towards the door, he heard a sliding sound and a softer thump. He opened the door to find Inuyasha on his knees facing the wall, with his forehead and balled fists against it. His hair was matted and his fuzzy, dog-like ears, which he usually hid, were trembling. His eyes were closed, and Miroku imagined that if it wasn't pressed against the wall, there would be a deep frown line on Inu's forehead.

Kikyo's death had been sudden; mugged on the street, she had bled to death before getting help. She had been Inuyasha's closest friend long before Miroku was around. Her death had shaken Inu to his core. Miroku imagined that if Kikyo hadn't been a lesbian, Inuyasha would have wanted to marry her.

So suddenly that it made him jump, Inuyasha let out a roar and punched the wall with the side of his fist. "I want her _back_ Miroku!" he said in that same hot, tight voice. "I really do!" he continued, and when his voice cracked, he bit his lip until he drew blood. Miroku stood there, stunned. It had only been three weeks since the funeral, but this was the first time he had _ever_ seen Inuyasha so upset. _During_ the funeral, he had been in a daze. He'd hardly even spoken, and had been very pale and drained-looking. This was the longest 'conversation' that they'd shared since!

"Never mind. I'll go home now," said Inuyasha as he stood. All traces of his near brush with tears were gone, and he was putting on a front that Miroku thought even Face-of-Stone-Fluffy would envy. In fact, today had been the biggest display of emotion that _Sesshomaru_ had ever exhibited._ This Kagome seems to bring out the emotions of us all… She might have been good for us if she didn't look so much like __Kikyo__…_ thought Miroku

Inuyasha was already walking down the hall, ears drooping and shoulders slumped. "Call me later, ok?" Miroku called. Inuyasha merely waved his hand and disappeared over the edge of the stairs.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Kagome stormed into her _own_ apartment, two hours later, dripping wet, and scowling. _It just _had_ to rain, didn't it?_ She growled in an irritated fashion and headed to her bathroom to get dry clothes. When she returned, she hit the flashing button on her answering machine and proceeded to wipe up her trail of puddles.

'beep'

"_Hi Kagome! Oh gosh, I'm soooooo sorry I left you! I wish I hadn't drunk so much… Well call me when you get home!"_

'beep'

_"It's me again! Miroku called and asked me to go to his place…He said he had something important to talk to me about, so you can call me there. His number is 555-0921. I'll be there around four-ish ok? Talk to you later!"_

'beeeeeeeep'

Kagome shook her head bemusedly and threw away the paper towels she had been using to clean up the mud. Sango always sounded flustered when she had to leave messages… Kagome went onto her bedroom and flopped down on her bed with a sigh. What a weird day…

Before she knew it, Kagome was asleep, and the world revolved without her.

**'RIIIIIIIING'**

Kagome snapped into wakefulness and slipped over the edge of the bed. She hit the floor with a bump. "Owww…" she said, rubbing her tailbone.

**'RIIIIIIIING'**

Kagome jumped again and cursed herself for not grabbing the phone. She scrambled to her feet and lunged for the cordless phone on the other side of the bed.

**'RIIII-CRASH'**

The phone went flying and Kagome landed on the floor on the other side of the bed, head first, and with her feet in the air. _Then_ she heard the muffled sound of someone calling her name; the phone had turned on when it fell. She slithered out of her awkward landing and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Kagome! What happened? There was this big crash and then you didn't answer and…"

"Sango, breathe! I fell out of bed ok?!"

"What were you doing in bed? It's like, _Six thirty_!"

"I was _sleeping_! I had a very tiring day!"

"You were supposed to call me at Miroku's at four! I was so worried that something had happened…"

"You're starting to sound like my mother… chill ok? I'm fine and you're talking to me _now_, and nothing is wrong." Kagome had switched her voice to a more soothing monotone-for both their sakes.

There was an audible sigh from the other end of the line and when she spoke, Sango sounded much calmer. "You're right. Well, I was going to suggest that you come over here so you could meet Miroku properly, but I'm leaving now so I guess it'll have to be another day."

"Yeah, I guess. I'm going to go back to sleep now so _don't_ call me again unless it's something _important_! Ok?"

"Alright. But don't forget, we're going job hunting tomorrow!"

"I wont forget. Tomorrow then."

"Bye!"

**'click'**

Kagome threw the phone across the room and crawled back into bed. She fell asleep rather quickly, but it felt like she'd only been out seconds (although it really had been several hours) when the phone rang again. With a very angry growl, she flung herself after the phone and answered slightly out of breath.

"What do you want? She growled menacingly into the phone.

"Well s'cuse me for breathin'! Did I interrupt somethin'?" sneered the slightly familiar voice on the other end. Where had she heard it before? Oh yeah…

_-Flashback-_

Kagome had been leaving Sesshomaru's apartment and she had run into some guy right outside the door, preparing to knock. She had noticed the similarities between the two men instantly and had assumed that they were related. This man had the same silver hair, but was dressed quite a bit more casually than Sesshomaru. Baggy black jeans, muscle-bearing white shirt, loose black leather jacket, and a solid red ball cap with a feminine signature on the brim. It was a rather grungy style, but the brands and condition hinted that the stranger and Sesshomaru shared in good taste.

"What the…" and his voice had trailed away, only to be replaced by an awed expression full of pain.

She hadn't really taken the time to pay attention to him then, but she could have sworn she heard him whisper "Kikyo…" as she brushed past.

_-End-_

"Hullo? You there girl? Hellooooo?"

Kagome started and answered, only minimally more polite than she had been upon answering. "Yes I'm here! What did you want and how did you get my number anyway?"

He chuckled and sounded rather pleased with himself. "I convinced Miroku's chic to give it to me…Sano or whatever her name is… And I need a ride home…"

She was just about to ask why Miroku or Sesshomaru couldn't do it, he continued. "The Lech won't take my calls, and Fluffy wouldn't if I paid him-plus he's workin'." She could only assume he meant Miroku and Sesshomaru.

"Why do you even need a ride in the first place? And why did you _want _my number?"

"Cuz I was gonna tell ya to stay away from my dumb brother and my friend. I'm stuck in some damn bar and I keep findin' drinks on the counter so I don't think I could f_ind_ home right now…" He laughed like that was the funniest thing in the world.

Kagome's first thought was to tell the jerk off and hang up but a little voice in the back of her head reminded her 'Karma! Do something nice and it will come back to you!' so she sighed and asked him where he was.

Half an hour later, Kagome found herself cruising the scummy streets looking for a bar called T_he White Dog_. She finally spotted the sign, a solid white German Shepard in blue/white neons under curvy red letters that she could only assume was the name. She groaned and slid out of her car, making sure she locked it fully before walking through the door. A blast of light and noise so loud it rocked her off her feet hit her just before the smell did. She wrinkled her nose and plunged inside. The man wasn't hard to find, sitting on the end of the bar right under a light. His cap was missing so his silver hair shone brightly.

She sighed again and walked right up to him. About a foot away, she stopped and stared in shock. One reason was the amount of glasses and bottles littering the bar around him. Any _normal_ person would have been in a coma by now, but this man was still blinking blearily at her. The second reason she was so shocked were the ears. _ Doggie_ ears, much like the ones on the sign outside. Hey were mostly flat and drooping slightly, most likely due to the noise level, but they were there. As she continued to stare, sudden recognition flooded his eyes and he attempted to grab for her arm. "Hey! Ya showed up! Can we go home now?" When he finally managed to make contact with her jacket sleeve, he hauled himself upright, and wobbled dangerously.

'He absolutely reeks of alcohol! What was I thinking?' she thought, as she tried to drag him outside. One of the bouncers finally sauntered over and hauled the mostly unconscious man to her car for her. She thanked the beefy bouncer and drove away. The dog-eared man slumped in his seat, and he looked like he'd finally passed out. Just to be sure, she prodded him and he snapped awake.

"Whs… Where am I?" He looked at her, managed to focus, and his eyes filled with tears. "You look just like her," he whispered. "Why do ya hafta look just like her? Why did she have to leave me?" His voice squeaked. He swallowed hard and started muttering; apparently thinking that she couldn't hear him. "I will _not_ cry, I will _not _cry, I will _NOT _cry!" Despite his desperate words, a few tears managed to escape and run down his cheeks.

Kagome was startled to say the least. She pulled the car over, and reached out a hand hesitantly. She finally placed it on a shaking shoulder and began to rub it timidly, whispering words of comfort and nonsense. "It's alright, I'm here. You're safe. You can let it out. It's O.K. to cry, really it is! It'll make you feel a lot better…" She scooted closer and slipped her arms around his shoulders the way she would a child. She continued to speak to him until he finally began to let out all his grief. He slumped against her shoulder, sobbing raggedly.

'Poor boy,' she thought. 'I have to find out what happened. There's something about me that hurts him and I really don't _want_ to hurt him.'


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

About an hour later, Kagome half carried the still-drunk man through her door, talking to him constantly to keep him conscious and somewhat focused on getting somewhere he could lie down. "This is my apartment," She told him. "Since you can't remember where you live, you can stay here tonight. I just hope we can get you to the couch before you pass out…" She grimaced as he leaned heavily against her, wobbling his way to the couch he could now see, and desperately wanted to reach. "Oh… Sleep sounds good… Maybe I'll stop seeing her if I go to sleep… Yeah," he mumbled, clinging to Kagome's arm for balance, and reaching out with his free arm. As soon as he had a grip on the back of the couch, he simply spun into a fall, so that he landed on his back with his feet hanging off the arm of the couch. Unfortunately for Kagome, he didn't let go of her arm, so she fell and landed on the floor _next_ to the couch. Her head cracked against the worn floor, and she accidentally bit her lip. "Oh brilliant," she muttered, tasting blood. She rolled onto her stomach and used the couch to pull herself up until she was sitting on the sliver of space left on the edge. "What's your name, anyway?" she asked.

She glanced down at the man on her couch, who was staring at her with a strange mixture of pain and longing in his eyes. She asked again to try to make him not look at her like that. "You _do_ have a name right? You're not just a homeless puppy?" she added with a smile. He blinked and his expression cleared again. "Uh, yeah… I'm Inuyasha…" She nodded once and said "Well, Inuyasha, nice to meet you, but I'm going to go to bed now. You need a blanket or anything?" He shook his head slowly, his eyes drooping. Kagome figured that he'd pass out as soon as she left him alone, so she went into her bedroom and shut the door. She paused, and then re-opened the door just a crack, so she could hear him if he fell of the couch or something. As she changed into pajamas and crawled into bed, she couldn't help but remember the look on Inuyasha's face. She decided to ask him why she made him hurt so much, in the morning.

As the sun rose, Kagome's living room brightened slowly. Wooden horizontal blinds on the windows kept most of the direct light out, although thin stripes of sun fell onto the sleeping Inuyasha. He reveled in the warmth, not quite awake yet, but awake enough for his senses to start working. His ears swiveled this way and that to catch the sounds around the room, and his nose sorted the unfamiliar scents. He could hear some of the city bustle outside, but not much else, apart from Kagome's soft breathing in the next room. He could smell the normal scents of the kitchen, like coffee and bread, and the warm smell of the wooden blinds and floor where the sun touched them, and a thin draft of scent from the bedroom; girly smells and clean sheets. Beneath all the other smells was a constant honey-like smell that he decided must be Kagome's own scent. He breathed in deep and marveled at the comfort he felt in all the warmth of the scents and the sunlight. And then he heard Kagome yawn and the rustle of her sheets. _Oh shit…I wanted to get out of here before she woke up!_ He thought with alarm.

Inu leaped off the couch and raced for the door, trying to be quiet and light on his feet. He tried to quietly unlock the door to leave the apartment, but before he could even slide back the safety-chain, something soft and fluffy hit him in the back of the head. He turned around to find a pillow at his feet, and a rumpled and annoyed Kagome standing in her bedroom doorway. "So you wake me up to have me drag your sorry ass out of that bar,_ cry_ on me, knock me on the floor, and then you're just gonna leave without any kind of explanation?! Not even so much as a thank you?" She narrowed her eyes at him, challenging him for an answer. "Uh… Well, yeah," he admitted, not really knowing what else to say. He looked at the pillow on the floor so he wouldn't have to look into those intimidating and hauntingly familiar eyes. Silence and seconds stretched between them. He slowly bent to pick up the pillow, and walked over to hand it back to her. "Uh… Thanks for… Everything," he mumbled, and turned back to the door to let himself out, carefully avoiding eye contact.

He could practically feel her indignation as he opened each lock. _Is she really paranoid or what?! The girl has seven different locks!_ When he got to the final lock, a simple deadbolt, it stuck, and he couldn't make it budge. As he struggled, he heard her chuckle and walk away. She went to the kitchen and started to make coffee. He growled and called out "Uh, your lock is stuck…" She laughed and called back "I know. Been that way since just after I moved in. Looks like you're stuck here until you explain yourself. Want breakfast?" He grumbled about conniving women under his breath, but as the coffee smell grew stronger, he was reminded of his drinking spree and he became aware of his hangover. She came over with a mug of hot, black coffee, and pointed at the couch. "Sit. Talk," She commanded. He decided to chance looking up into her face, and was surprised to see not anger or irritation as he expected, but real concern. He was also surprised to find that, surrounded by the warmth and comforting smells, her similarities to Kikyo didn't hurt so much. He decided to start looking for differences instead.

They settled on the couch, Kagome at one end, her arms around her knees, and Inuyasha at the other end sitting in a slump with his coffee in his lap. He knew she wanted him to talk about Kikyo, but he hesitated; he was already embarrassed that she'd coaxed tears out of him, drunk or not. He was surprised that she had even gotten him to _think_ about talking about it. She spoke suddenly, startling him.

"That lock worked fine the first week I was here. This was about a year ago. It was the only lock on the door at the time, but I thought it'd be enough."

Her voice went very calm and quiet, and she was staring into her coffee cup. "I came home one night, and I always lock the door right behind me, so as I turned to lock it, somebody grabbed me from behind. It was some drugged out creep who'd been watching me for a while I guess, and he'd come in while I was gone. Anyway, he told me that he was going to rape me and kill me, and I started struggling like mad."

She paused and looked up at him. "Did you know that the elbow is the strongest part of the body?" He shook his head. She went back to staring at her coffee. "Well it is. I knew that. I nailed him in the ribs with my elbows until he let me go. That didn't really help me much considering he was in my way and I had nowhere to run… All I did was get myself turned around before he grabbed me again. I kept fighting though, kicking and clawing whatever part of him I could reach. He started beating on me, I think to either knock me out or get me to stop hitting him. Since he had me up against the door, when he was hitting me, I'd get pounded into the doorframe. All the pounding warped the frame. I think he must have hit me really hard in the head, because I can't remember much for a while after that, but next thing I know he'd dragged me out away from the door, and was trying to tear my clothes off. I tried to fight back again, and I kicked him once, really hard, and he got really mad. He punched me until I blacked out for good."

She paused and took in a huge breath. "When I woke up again, I was mostly naked and I was so bruised it hurt to move, but I heard him banging around in my kitchen, so I decided to try to get out of the apartment. I didn't have a phone yet so I couldn't even call for help. I tried to get to the door, but the frame was so warped that I couldn't get the lock open. He heard me and came out of the kitchen with a knife… I guess he hadn't thought about how he was going to kill me so he had to go look for something to use. He saw me and started yelling at me to get away from the door, and then he rushed at me with the knife. We went right through the door… ripped it right off the hinges." She swung her feet onto the floor and set her mug down on a table in front of the couch. "We fell right down the stairs, and the knife got me in the side." She lifted up her shirt to show him the huge, ragged scar right below her left breast. She looked down at it and ran her finger over it. "The sharp edge was facing up, but his weight pulled it down against the dull edge. That's why it looks ripped instead of sliced. I'm lucky it missed everything vital." She sighed and pulled her shirt down. She glanced up at him, and saw that he was watching her with an expression, almost like he expected the story. As if he were thinking _I knew you were going to say that…_

He lowered his eyes to his untouched coffee, and then set the mug down on the table. "What happened to the guy?" he asked softly. She attempted a grin but it came out more of a grimace. "Oh, he broke his neck in the fall. Somebody finally heard the commotion and found us on the stairs. He was dead when they got there, and I was out cold." Inuyasha scowled. "Bastard got off easy… You still live here after that?" He was surprised when Kagome laughed. "Well it turned out that he was the live-in landlord for the apartment complex… The guy who owned the building offered me all kinds of money and formal apologies. He covered my hospital bills and wrote me a rent-free contract as long as I wanted. I guess they were related or something and he didn't want the whole mess to get out…" She rubbed her eyes and took a huge gulp of coffee.

"Wow," said Inuyasha. "I guess I _Have_ to tell you my story after that…" Kagome smiled at him and said, "That's what I was hoping for…"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

From the time Inuyasha woke up on Kagome's couch, there had been a long list of things that he didn't want her to know. Some of them were small things, like the fact that he had actually gotten her number off of Miroku's caller ID after Sango had called from there. He also didn't want her to know how badly he wanted to make her seem as little like Kikyo as possible, mostly to keep her very existence from rubbing salt into his emotional wounds. But the biggest thing he didn't want Kagome to know was the depth of his pain, his emotional _weakness_. He was absolutely mortified that she'd gotten him to actually _cry_, drunk or not. As he listened to her story, however, he felt his attitude towards her shift from wanting to hide from her probing, to wanting to protect her, to wanting to open up to her. Those feelings, that _want_ to open up, to vent upon her willing ears, was…disturbing, to say the least.

So when the phone rang shrilly and loudly, making Kagome jump and spill her coffee all over the couch, Inu felt almost relieved. _Saved by the phone_, he thought. He gulped down what was left in his cup as Kagome simultaneously tried to grab the phone off the kitchen counter and grab the towel hanging on the fridge door on the opposite side of the kitchen. She scrambled back to the couch and tried to answer the phone while scrubbing the couch cushions.

"Hello? Hello! Sango?... No, I didn't forget… Ok, well I did kinda, but I had a good reason! I promise!"

While she talked, she really only succeeded in spreading the stain around, so Inuyasha leaned over and firmly took the towel from her hands. He proceeded to press the towel into the cushion to absorb the coffee, instead of spreading it around more. Kagome scowled at the offending stain, but mouthed a thank-you at him before turning her full attention to Sango on the phone.

"Yes I still want to go job hunting today. No, no, I'll tell you later." She wandered into the kitchen with both of their coffee mugs. "I don't know how long I'll be… Hang on…" She turned to him and covered the mouthpiece. "How far from here do you live? Do you need a ride home, or do you just want to take the subway or the bus?" She rattled off the nearest major intersection; quite a good distance from his place, but he just shrugged and said "I'll walk." She raised a doubting eyebrow at him, but returned to the phone.

"Give me an hour? Yes there's someone here. I'll effing tell you when I see you!!! NO I did not 'get some'. I swear, Miroku has ruined you."

She blushed and turned her back to Inuyasha so she wouldn't have to think about the amusement in his eyes. He took advantage of the moment to unabashedly compare Kagome's figure to Kikiyo's. _Kagome is shorter_, he thought, taking in the slightly baggy T-shirt and pajama pants. She stood with her weight on one hip, with the fingers of her other hand doing a nervous little dance on the countertop in from of her. _She has a little more curve to her too. Her hair is wavy. Kik's was always board straight. She seems so open and friendly. Buoyant even. Surprising really, after what happened to her. Not quite 'bubbly', but certainly not serious._ He caught himself contemplating the curve of her hip a little too intensely and directed his attention back to the couch. He'd managed to absorb almost all of the coffee. The cushion merely looked damp. She hung up the phone just as he stood up.

"What should I do with the towel?" He gestured with the now-stained cloth. She gestured towards a folding door in the hallway as she brushed passed him on her way into her room. "There's a hamper in there next to the washing machine." She hollered from behind the door to her room. "I have to start getting ready to leave. I was supposed to meet Sango at seven, and it's already 8:30. You sure you don't want a ride?" He declined again, thinking, _No thanks… Not to give you another chance to poke my wounds. I feel vulnerable enough already…_ He tossed the much abused towel in to the hamper as directed, and went back to trying to undo the warped deadbolt on the front door. He leaned and wiggled, pushed and pulled, to no avail. The lock stayed firm. He went back to the couch and sat, feeling like an intruder and an imposition. Not to mention nervous. He had felt relief at first, being given an opportunity to close off his pain, but now he almost felt disappointment at being denied the chance to unload his burden on someone who actually seemed to care. _She's probably just being nosey… But why would she have told me about herself? Well fuck, I DID call her out of the blue while drunk off my ass… She probably figures she has a right to know. After all, she rescued me from myself… _He blinked at the weight of his last thought. It felt almost truer than he'd meant it…

His internal struggles were interrupted by Kagome's return to the room. She had showered and changed clothes, and was carrying a dark colored cap in one hand. She tossed the cap at him. "I didn't see yours anywhere when I picked you up last night so I figured I'd give you one to use to get home with. You like to hide these, right?" She asked as she gestured toward his ears. They flattened slightly; a sensitive subject for him, but then her words really sunk in and his eyes widened in panic.

"What?! Where's my cap? I can't lose it; I need it!!! Oh crap…" He began to pace and mutter between his questions to her. "I wasn't wearing it? What the fuck did I do with it…? I can't lose it… You didn't see it at the bar anywhere?" She shook her head. "Shit, I have to go back to the bar… I must have dropped it there. I absolutely cannot lose that hat!" Kagome blinked in surprise. "It's just a hat… Why is it such a big deal?" He spun to face her, his eyes burning with pain and anger, not directed at her, but intimidating all the same. "You don't understand. It's all I have left of…" He trailed off, his voice feeling tight. Kagome grabbed her purse and coat from the coat rack next to the door and said, "Come on then. If it's that important to you, I'll drive you back to that bar and help you look for it." She leaned against the door, jerked it upwards in the frame, turned the stuck deadbolt about halfway, then put both hands on the handle of the door and shoved downward. The lock sprang apart and she pulled the door open. As she walked through, she said over her shoulder, "You are going to have to explain yourself you know…" Inu sighed with resignation and followed.


End file.
